


warm me up and breathe me

by losttrackofmysoul



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Fluff and Angst, Magnus and Alex are cute, Magnus blames himself a lot, Magnus feels useless, Near Death Experiences, Nico di Angelo and Will Solace are Dorks, Other, POV Third Person, Post-The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase), Post-The Tower of Nero (Trials of Apollo), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, The Golden Fleece saves the day, Will Solace has Healing Powers, guilty Magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28926177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/losttrackofmysoul/pseuds/losttrackofmysoul
Summary: Magnus and Alex run into trouble after a mission that takes place in New York and when Alex is mortally wounded it's up to Magnus to save her except. . . Why won't his healing powers work on Alex?
Relationships: Magnus Chase/Alex Fierro, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 4
Kudos: 63





	warm me up and breathe me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This idea popped up in my head a while ago and I had completely forgotten about it until yesterday when I was going through my notes and stumbled upon it and just- I HAD to write it. There's lots of angst and I almost cried writing some parts, but I hope you guys enjoy it!

It was a rare thing for Magnus to fight outside of Hotel Valhalla, especially when said hotel was a good three hours away in Boston while he was in New York City. So, to be standing in front of a gigantic monster he couldn’t name, was a little unnerving, even more so when he didn’t have Jack with him or any weapon he could defend himself or his boyfriend, Alex Fierro. Not that Alex would need Magnus to protect him, but he knew very well that sometimes Alex could be reckless and the last thing he needed was for his boyfriend to get injured. Even though Magnus could easily summon the power of Frey to heal them, a power given to him thanks to his father Frey, the Norse god of fertility, rain, summer and sunshine, Alex wasn’t particularly fond of his power as it meant that Magnus was able to peek into Alex’s memories and feel what he had felt at the time they were happening. Sometimes, the memory could be a fairly pleasant one -not that Alex felt comfortable sharing those either- but other times it was a painful, sour ones even Magnus felt guilty for looking at. 

So when Alex without a thought morphed from his human body into a big, green-tinted tiger, Magnus wasn’t too worried despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. There was something there that didn’t let him be at ease despite knowing Alex was fully capable of handling a monster. Hel, Alex had taken down Surtur once without the help of him or anyone else, but as Magnus saw Alex leap into action, jumping from side to side, trying to distract the monster and attacking it, he realised why he felt so on edge. 

He remembered months ago, when he had visited Annabeth that they had stumbled upon different monsters. She and her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, had taken them down easily, not even breaking a sweat and when they were done, she had educated Magnus on some of them, explaining what they were and giving a little backstory on how they had been born or created. They had continued to talk about the different types there were and Annabeth had explained a little more about how some monsters descended from others, far more powerful ones that represented more of a threat and therefore, were more difficult to take down. 

Magnus hadn’t heard of this happening to anyone else, everyone having enough trouble battling against creatures from their own mythology- but at that moment, Alex was fighting a greek monster, and winning apparently as the monster hissed and retreated. 

The monster itself was in one word, Magnus thought, ugly. It had the body of a lion but a goat’s head protruded out of the middle and a tail swished in such a way that Magnus realised it was alive. It was a long snake that curled as much as it could, baring its fangs and trying to bite Alex everytime he did a jump. The goat head bleated and tried to ram its horns against the tiger whilst the mouth of the lion spat fire constantly. Magnus didn’t know how Alex was gonna take the monster down, feeling useless as he stood to the side. He didn’t have a weapon, his only power aside from healing was invoking the Peace of Frey, but that was useless unless there were weapons to get rid of. His only other option was to outsmart the creature, distract it so Alex could get in and injure it. He looked around, trying to find something to fight with in the rickety alleyway they were currently standing in. 

Around them, all lined up against the walls of the alley, were dumpsters filled with trash bags. Magnus hurried to one and began digging through the trash bags with his hands, ripping some of them and causing the content in them to spill out. His body shivered for a fleeting second as he thought about how disgusting his actions were, specially when his fingers dug through what felt like squishy, slimy, rotten food, but he pushed the thought aside with ease, reminding himself of the time he spent on the streets and also, though not less important, that Alex was fighting a dangerous creature. His fingers wrapped around something cold and long and Magnus pulled on it, using his einherjar strength and easily freeing it from the trash. In his hands laid the shaft of a broken broom, the end of it pointy enough that it could cause serious damage. He didn’t waste time on thoughts of how to use it and instead turned around, rushing to where the fight was. 

Alex had just been slashed with the lion’s paw and his side was bleeding profusely, his green tinted fur sticky and movements cautious and slowed. Magnus felt his heart pumping quickly, painfully in his chest, his ears ringing as he saw Alex give a growl, showing his teeth and pulling back slightly. His eyes moved to Magnus for a second, noticing his newly found weapon and Magnus could swear he saw the feline roll its eyes, but the message was understood: Magnus would distract the snake and the goat while Alex attacked the lion’s head and tried to avoid being barbecued by the fire. 

Magnus had never seen a snake move the way this one was: it’s movements were too quick and it curled up before lashing out furiously in the blink of an eye, trying to reach Magnus’ arms, hands or legs, anything that was close enough for it to sink its teeth into and inject its venom. The boy gritted his teeth and swung, hitting the snake, only to watch it curl around the shaft, him shaking it and stepping back as the snake hissed at him, opening its jaws widely. The goat bleated and tried to hit something as Alex did another jump, this time managing to slash the chimera’s face, from the top of the lion’s mane down to its mouth. The lion roared and retreated, Magnus moving out of the way so the snake couldn’t reach him. Alex shape-shifted back into his human form and Magnus felt his heart stop as he watched him. The slash which had been bad enough in Alex’s tiger form, was far worse as a human: the lion hadn’t simply scratched him, the wounds were deep and the blood poured out of each claw having dug into her body before pulling out viciously and therefore leaving Alex’s torso open enough that if someone were to stick their fingers in, they could go in with ease. The constant flow of blood stained the boy’s vest and jeans, turning them red, his hand was against the wound, his breaths heavy. He stumbled and pulled his hand away to bring out his garrote, stretching the wire in it as he held the ends of the weapon and glared at the chimera threateningly despite his bad shape. 

The chimera attacked once again and somehow Alex managed to wrap the cord around its head. Magnus realised that if there would ever be a chance to defeat the monster, it was now. The blonde saw the goat pull its head back, gaining momentum to hit Alex as he managed to jump on top of the lion’s head, beginning to pull on both ends of the garrote, the wire pressing against the lion’s throat as it roared in exasperation, blowing out a ball of fire that grazed Alex and burnt his leg making him scream, managing to tighten his grip on the garrote more. Magnus swung, hitting the goat in the side, making it bleat in pain and drop, knocked out by the force of the hit. . 

Alex pulled. 

The body of the lion remained tense for a few seconds before it relaxed and dropped to the ground, the head of the lion rolling to one side. Alex fell and crashed painfully against the ground, Magnus dropping the broom shaft and rushing towards him, his hands already beginning to glow as he summoned his healing powers. However, before Magnus reached Alex, the snake, which had been successfully distracted by Magnus during that time, seeing Alex fall and remain still, curled up and stretched out as much as it could, the last of its consciousness remaining alert enough to reach Alex’s leg and bite down, venom spurting out and injecting itself into his bloodstream. Alex screamed out in pain and tried pulling his leg away from the reptile. The snake kept its jaw firmly shut until Magnus stepped on its body, ending with any bit of life the monster had left on it. Alex’s magical garrote had been enough to kill the monster, which Magnus was thanking the gods for, as he remembered his cousin telling him that they usually only went down when slashed with imperial gold or celestial bronze. 

Magnus knelt next to Alex, his breaths panicked. He tried to calm himself down as he pressed his hands against Alex’s wound, worriedly thinking about the trash he had just dug through and how it couldn’t be good to be pressing the dirt onto an open wound. His head spiralled as he thought about how far away Valhalla was and he tried to concentrate on his powers, taking in a shaky breath in, the cold in the alleyway growing and making his body numb.

“Magnus,” Alex breathed, eyes half-lidded, voice nothing like how it usually was, the weakness in it making Magnus tear up as he tried to concentrate, the glow from his hands crawling up his arms, lighting up the alley. Alex’s hand moved on top of Magnus’, the warmth from it bringing a little peace to his heart as he struggled to get a breath in, the pain being bad enough that his consciousness began to slip. 

The light of the day was beginning to fade and Magnus choked back a sob. The glow was crawling down his torso and towards his legs but against all odds, his healing was doing nothing. Magnus could feel his body straining with effort as he practically became a bright dot of light, his hand pressing firmly against Alex’s side, feeling the blood slow down its exit from the body. The wound wasn’t healing, but the blood wasn’t rushing out as quickly as it had been.

“Magnus,” Alex called again. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

The blonde shook his head. He hadn’t realised it, but when he licked his lips he could taste salt in them, he had started crying. “Don’t. You’re going to be fine, I just, I need―” he couldn’t finish the sentence, he pushed himself harder, his body was so bright now that Alex had to close his eyes, the soothing warmth Magnus had been providing suddenly became an unbearable heat that made Alex whimper and try to pull away from.

Magnus sobbed as he looked down at his hands, covered in blood and grime. He pulled them away, searching for his phone, his vision blurry with tears as he looked up Annabeth’s phone number before remembering she kept her cell phone turned off. His chest felt the way it used to feel like when he had asthma attacks, unable to get any air in them and like someone was pressing down on it with a car. Out of his pocket a couple of golden coins fell out and he stared at them for a moment before grabbing one, looking around desperately. There was no water, no mirrors or glass nearby that he could use to create a rainbow, the drachmas Annabeth had gifted him so he could contact her at any time and place she could be, were useless without a rainbow. His chest ached and he racked his brain in a desperate attempt to think of what he could do. Alex weakly called for his name but Magnus ignored him, remembering something. 

He cleared his throat as his breaths came in with a whistling sound. “Stephi, no, steti, fuck, no! Stêthi,” he suddenly remembered, his voice raw as he remembered the rest of the phrase. “Ô hárma diabolês!” He threw the coin in the air and prayed to the gods. 

The coin fell, melting through the ground and disappearing. Magnus looked down to Alex who’s eyes had closed. “Magnus, I love you,” the son of Loki whispered, barely managing to peak his eyes open to look at the glowing boy in front of him. 

Magnus sobbed and as delicately as he could grabbed Alex’s body, pulling him towards him. “Stop doing this every time you’re about to die,” he whispered, pained and angry. 

Next to them, the shadows that had surrounded them solidified, the floor began to bubble the colour red, mixing with Alex’s blood until a taxi cab was in front of them. It was made of grey mist and Magnus pulled open the door, bringing Alex in with him who let out a high pitched whine at being moved before going slack in Magnus’ hold, only helping to increase his worries. 

“Passa-”

“Camp Half-Blood!” He yelled, not letting the lady finish. “Hurry, hurry, please!” He cried desperately. 

Maybe it was the way his voice came out, absolutely broken and wrecked, but none of the other ladies on the front seat said anything as they simply began to drive, hitting the gas pedal and lurching them forward into the streets of New York. Someone said something through the speakers but Magnus didn’t pay attention, continuing to summon his power to try and heal Alex. He knew he wasn’t doing much, if anything, he was buying Alex a few minutes, but that was enough for Magnus if it meant he could save his boyfriend. He buried his face in Alex’s green hair, mumbling against it as he prayed to his father, Frey. His fingers felt numb, his body was reaching a point where it was painful for him to keep his healing powers going on and his chest ached tremendously, not enough air reaching his lungs and only making them burn from the effort. 

“Please, Alex, please, I love you sweetheart, please,” he cried weakly, his voice coming out raspy, words not being completely coherent as they were interrupted by wheezing and coughs. “You can’t, not you, not you,” he begged, his tears trailing down from his face to Alex’s hair. 

The buildings blurred into trees and with a screech, the taxi came to a halt, Magnus holding Alex’s body tightly against him to avoid it from hitting anything. He looked out the window to see a hill, at the crest of which torches lit with fire could be seen. The colours blurred together, like a badly painted picture, merging together and he pulled out the rest of the coins Annabeth had gifted him out of his pocket, throwing them on the seat and opening the door. 

“Shall he live, he will play a great part in the end of your time.”

Magnus looked to the front, where one of the ladies had turned, facing him. She had no eyes, but Magnus could detect a hint of emotion in her face. He didn’t ask what it meant, he didn’t care, he just wanted to get Alex to Camp where Annabeth had told her where demigods who healed people. He grabbed Alex and began to run up the hill. There were black spots dancing in front of him, the trees got in the way of his steps and he couldn’t hear anything as he reached the top of the hill, his arms trembling with effort, the light of his body dying down and sputtering as if he was a broken light bulb. When everything began to turn black, he crashed against someone. 

A boy was facing him, eyes critical and dark. He wasn’t wearing any shoes and his dark clothes melted with the shadows surrounding him, Magnus could barely make out his features with the way the lack of oxygen was causing his brain to fog up. His legs gave up and he fell down to his knees in front of the boy who took a step back, hand gripping the hilt of a sword. 

“Pl. . . ease,” Magnus managed to get out. “A-Anna. . . Beth, Percy.”

The boy blinked, eyes filling with something that seemed like recognition and pulled his hand away from the sword, looking at Magnus, unsure. Then, he reached out, placing his hand on the blonde’s shoulder and suddenly they were no longer on the hill, but in a completely different place. There were beds and white sheets, a curly haired, blonde boy was putting something away and turned around when he heard them come in, his face was pulled into a smile that quickly dropped when he noticed Alex and Magnus. 

“Gods, Nico, what happened?!”

The boy rushed to Magnus who shook his head, looking up at him, still kneeled on the ground. His body gave up and the glow died instantly, the flow of blood that he had managed to slow down resuming its quick path down his hands and Alex’s body. His eyes were broken and his body could no longer hold the extra weight as he placed Alex down on the floor, the curly blonde boy and the one he had called Nico rushing to grab Alex and lift him into a bed.

“I don’t know, I felt their presence and went to check it out,” he gave Magnus a look and turned to Will, his voice dropping down to a whisper, intending for Magnus not to hear. “Will, he didn’t make it, we should focus on him,” he said, looking at Magnus from the corner of his eyes. 

Magnus perked his head up, shaking it. His body was at its limit: no air properly reaching his lungs, his vision flickering from black to the scene in front of him, but he managed to crawl towards Alex, grabbing his hand. “No, no. . . He’s alive, I can feel it, I can. . . “ He tried to summon his powers again but he couldn’t, a shiver running down his body, cold washing over him painfully, icy fingers crawling up his back and seemingly pulling down into the ground. He took another painful breath in. “Valhalla, please Valhalla.”

Will frowned sadly and looked at Magnus, moving towards him. “I’m sorry but. . . He didn’t make it,” he tried for a gentle tone, trying to pull Magnus away from Alex. 

He shook his head. “I’m dead too!” He exclaimed, Will freezing, Nico frowning and stepping closer to his partner. “Einherjar. . . Valhalla, Odin’s warrior,” he sobbed. “Please, he’s not dead. . . Please,” he begged. 

Something seemed to click in Nico’s head. He turned to Will, “Give him nectar, try to heal him, see if that helps, I’ll go get Chiron, hurry!” He instructed and then vanished. 

Will seemed shocked but without a second thought turned around and began to work, slipping easily into doctor mode. He grabbed a bottle of something and a dropper, getting some of the golden liquid in it and then moving towards Alex, tilting his head back slightly and then letting some drops fall down onto his mouth. He then grabbed what looked like a brownie and handed it to Magnus. “Eat this, it’ll help you recover,” he instructed, grabbing the same bottle of golden liquid and tilting it over Alex’s wound, cleaning it out and proceeding to rub some silver paste on it, closing his eyes and beginning to hum some words under his breath.

Magnus could feel the adrenaline withdrawal catch up to him. If his body had been giving out before due to how much power he had used, it was now giving up from how he wasn’t doing anything. He took a bite out of the brownie and felt more tears run down his cheeks, it tasted like his mom’s cooking, like his feast in Valhalla after having defeated Fenris and like the guava juice he had drank with Alex on top of The Chase Space, when it was still his uncle’s house. He reached his hand out and took hold of Alex’s, his body no longer feeling like it would disintegrate at any given moment. His breaths were no longer as painful and his arms didn’t feel as weak, his legs could support his weight again with a little bit of difficulty. He took another bite. His vision stopped dancing in front of his eyes and he rested his head against the bed, finding himself praying to his father once again. 

There was the sound of hooves approaching and the boy from earlier, Nico, entered the room. His eyes glazed over Magnus distrustingly and he walked over to Will who had not yet opened his eyes and was clenching his jaw as he continued to hum something. Behind Nico, a shadow pulled aside a curtain and in stepped a creature Magnus hadn’t seen before. With the top of his body being human and the bottom of it belonging to a horse, Magnus had no trouble understanding what he was and he swallowed, feeling scrutinised under the gaze of the man. 

“Einherji in our Camp,” the man spoke up, his voice gentle but firm. His eyes were thousands of years old and Magnus could almost see the amount of knowledge in them, he wasn’t sure of what to say, but he bowed his head respectfully. If he had learned anything from meeting immortal beings, it was that they demanded respect, no matter how desperate and awful the situation he was in was. “What is your name, young one?”

Magnus managed to stand up, his vision going off for a second and quickly holding onto a nearby counter to help with his balance. His other hand did not let go of Alex's, afraid of being away from him. “Magnus Chase,” he replied truthfully, hoping to gain favour and also somehow knowing that if he lied the centaur would be able to tell. “I’m Annabeth Chase’s cousin,” he added. 

The centaur’s eyes glimmered, recognition facing through them as he nodded. The pristine white fur of his body reflected the lights on the room pleasantly. His hand came up to stroke his beard as he looked at Magnus with interest. “Magnus Chase, why did you come here?”

Magnus cleared his throat. “I came to New York on a brief assignment from Odin, Sir,” he began to explain. “It is rare for us to leave Valhalla, but Odin commanded me on a small mission that took place in the city. We were on our way back when a creature attacked us, a. . . Uh, chimera,” he remembered, swallowing and gripping Alex’s hand tighter. “Alex took it down but he was hurt, the tiger slashed him and burnt his leg. Before it died the snake bit him.” His voice broke and he tried to take a deep breath, but it came in shaky as his hand trembled. “I am a son of Frey and therefore can heal others but nothing I did seemed to work. My cousin gave me some coins from your currency and told me I could use them to call her but I couldn’t.” His forehead glistened with sweat at the effort of recalling the story and standing up, his body slowly shutting down and he took another bite from the brownie. 

Chiron watched him attentively, not pushing for more information, instead waiting for Magnus to continue telling the story. Behind him, Will had stopped his humming and now looked pale and tired, Nico by his side, examining Alex Fierro’s body before turning to Will, checking in on him to make sure the blonde wouldn’t pass out. Will grabbed the dropper again and filled it before letting some drops fall on Alex’s mouth. 

“I-I remembered Annabeth talked about a taxi, a transport that I could summon with one of the coins. I knew there wasn’t enough time to go back to Valhalla where Alex could die and be brought back to life no problem, so I asked to come here,” he finished the story, turning to look at Alex who was breathing shallowly. His eyes filled with tears again and he kneeled down again. “I can’t lose him, please, I can’t,” he whispered. 

Will looked down at Magnus sadly before his eyes moved to Chiron. “I don’t know if he’s okay. He’s responding but there’s something blocking him from fully recovering,” he examined the bite wound on Alex’s leg and looked at the centaur. “Maybe the poison?”

Chiron had a grim expression in his face. “Chrimera’s poison. . .” He trailed off and shook his head, stomping his hoof against the ground. “We’ll need the fleece,” he simply said, turning to Nico. “Mister Di Angelo, please go get it,” he instructed. 

Nico seemed hesitant but nodded and disappeared, returning only a few seconds after with a heavy looking piece of cloth in his hands. It was gold and the aura around it gave a faint glow, even Nico who was just holding it, seemed to stand a little taller, with more colour in his cheeks. He placed it over Alex and for a moment everyone stayed still, nothing happening. Then, colour began to return to his face, the wound that Will had healed closed completely and the marks where the snake had sunk its fans into his leg vanished slowly. Alex’s eyes fluttered and opened slowly, looking around, taking in the white around him and Will and Nico looking down at her, not noticing Magnus next to him. He blinked quickly and suddenly, instead of Alex, there was nothing in the bed, Magnus having lost his grip on his hand, Alex nowhere to be seen. 

Nico pulled Will backwards and unsheathed his sword. Chiron swished his tail nervously, stepping closer whilst Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. “Mister Di Angelo, put away your sword, you’ll only scare him more,” he spoke, looking around before his eyes turned back to Magnus who had his eyes squinted, looking around before he spotted something and walked past Nico. 

His steps were a little wobbly, but he got to a counter. “Alex, you’re okay,” he said, voice flooded with relief. 

A small ant that was sitting on the counter suddenly transformed back into Alex who looked at the audience before she looked at Magnus. Somewhere in between her near death, Alex had shifted into a girl and Magnus reached his hands out, suddenly breaking down again as he grabbed Alex and pulled her tightly against him. 

Alex blinked, looking tired and sickly. “What happened?” She asked, looking down at her clothes that were sticky with blood. 

Magnus pulled back, his hands finding Alex’s face and pulling her towards him, kissing her hard. Alex kissed him back gently but had to pull back after a couple of seconds, stumbling, Magnus grabbing her. “Sorry, I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have done that, you nearly died―”

Alex smirked weakly. “Magnus, we die every single day,” she said, sitting down in a bed as everything turned black in front of her before returning to normal. “Where are we?” She asked, grabbing her head and looking up at her boyfriend. “Who are these people?”

“Child,” Chiron spoke, having grabbed the fleece and clopping towards Magnus and Alex, handing the fleece to the son of Frey so he could put it back around Alex. “You are in Camp Half-Blood, a place for all demi-gods, I am Chiron, head of activities here,” he explained, stepping back and watching Alex carefully. “Are you feeling better? You will need to rest before doing any kind of activity.”

“Camp Half-Blood?” Alex asked as Magnus placed the fleece over her shoulders, her making a face at the fabric as she sunk a little under its weight but nevertheless allowed her boyfriend to wrap it around her, realising it was magic when she could feel herself growing less nauseous. Her two-coloured eyes moved from the fleece, to the boys, to the centaur and settling on Magnus. “Percy’s camp?”

Magnus nodded. Nico stepped forward. “Why are you dead?” He asked, his sword back in its place, though his hand remained on the hilt of it, ready to attack. His eyes were dark and careful, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. “How are you dead?” He added, looking up at Chiron who had a pensive expression, though did not look at all surprised, instead, curious. 

Alex raised her brows. “We’re einherji, warriors of Odin. When we die, if we’re chosen, we are re-born and come back to life in Valhalla where we can die and come back to life no matter how many times we are killed,” she explained, eyeing Nico’s outfit as if she disagreed with the colour he was wearing. She looked at Magnus who hadn’t taken his eyes off her, eyes sparkling softly under the light as he looked at her with an adoring, yet distressed, look, not even looking away when they made eye contact. His eyes were glistening with tears and Alex weakly slapped his hand, “Stop staring at me,” she said, not moving her eyes away, instead narrowing them in a challenging manner. 

Magnus laughed, leaning down and kissing her again. “Sorry,” he apologised, his heart still heavy in his chest, his expression sad.

Alex held his hand wordlessly and shook her head, leaning her head softly against Magnus’ torso, taking a deep breath in. The Fleece resting on her shoulders didn’t weigh her down as much, her side didn’t hurt anymore and her leg didn’t ache either, no longer feeling like she was being repeatedly stabbed with a needle. Magnus brought his arm around her, moving so he could be sitting next to her, holding her close to him. Magnus had never before been so close to seeing someone die in front of him. Of course the deaths during his first battles in Valhalla surprised him, and though the shock remained, he had almost gotten used to them. Blitz, Hearth’s and Halborn had also been near-deaths where Magnus had feared for their lives, a genuine, gut clenching fear that had left Magnus with a continuous, cold and unpleasant tingling in his fingers where he would summon the power of Frey in order to heal. It was a constant, looming reminder that if he failed to heal them, his friends wouldn’t make it. 

This time it was different though, and it wasn’t because Alex felt like the most important person in the world to him. But it was the fear of not being able to do anything, Magnus had been able to heal his friends before, only having been at a loss once when Blitz had been injured by the snofnung and he had not been able to heal him but had acted quick enough to figure a solution to save him. Alex’s wound was far more terrifying, Magnus couldn’t petrify Alex and bring him back to life, he couldn’t heal him with a rock and make sure he was alright, Magnus had felt completely and utterly useless. If Alex had died, Magnus would’ve blamed himself for the rest of his life which, unfortunately, would be a very long time as Ragnarok was nowhere in the horizon at the moment. More tears rolled down his cheeks and he hid his face in Alex’s shoulder, the girl sighing and holding back Magnus. 

“So there’s also Norse gods?” Nico broke the silence, looking at Chiron who was watching the couple carefully. 

The centaur nodded grimly. “But we must not talk about them,” he said, rubbing his forehead and then looking at Nico and Will. “There are events coming up, and a time for us when we will discuss them, but right now we should sleep on it. It’s late, the other campers must be getting ready for the bonfire,” he changed the subject, his legs moving up and down in a nervous manner despite his face remaining curious, careful. “Perhaps you two, young men would like something to eat before resting.”

“Girl,” Magnus and Alex sprang up at the same time, Alex smiling and chuckling. Chiron had a slightly puzzled expression. “Alex is a girl,” Magnus spoke up, holding her a bit tighter, as if afraid she would leave his side. 

The three males in front of them had puzzled expressions before Will spoke up. “Oh, sorry,” he apologised, understanding dawning on his face. “I’m sorry, we didn’t know.”

Alex nodded. “I’ll let you know what my pronouns are when they change,” she simply said, Nico looking a little confused but seeming to understand what she meant, Chiron nodding along. She cuddled back against Magnus, not minding the close contact they were enjoying at the moment, even if she could feel how tightly Magnus was holding her, the spot where he had rested his face in damp from his tears. 

Chiron cleared his throat. “Very well. We can head to the dining pavilion and get something for you two to eat,” he phrased more carefully. “I believe the Fleece can go back to its place now, it seems like Alex,” he pronounced the name carefully, nodding when Alex confirmed it was right, “Is feeling better. If you don’t mind, Mister Di Angelo,” he said, looking at Nico who nodded, a frown still on his face. 

Alex let go of Magnus in order to slide off the Fleece, looking at it for a moment before offering it to Nico. She turned to Magnus, snickering. “Can you imagine if we had that in Valhalla? I bet our battles would last for days, no one would die, I would have to cut off your head more often,” she joked, Magnus rolling his eyes and going back to holding Alex, his arm around her waist. Nico raised a brow, his lips twitching with the ghost of a smile, looking at Will who’s eyes were wide. Nico stepped into a shadow and disappeared, Alex’s mouth hanging open at the act. “Wow, did you see that?” She asked Magnus, unaware that he had been witness already to Nico’s trick a couple of times. 

“Mister Di Angelo shares some of the abilities Hades, his father, has, such as shadow travelling,” Chiron explained, watching Alex’s expression. “And Mister Solace here is a child of Apollo, he is the one who treated you,” he signalled towards Will who approached them. 

“I’m Will,” he introduced himself, giving them an easy going smile. His curly hair bounced with each step he had taken and his blue eyes glittered under the lights of the room. He offered his hand out, “If you ever need anything, just ask. I, uh, understand you know about IM?” He added, looking at Magnus and recalling his mention of the drachmas. 

“Instant Messaging?” Alex spoke, Magnus finally cracking a smile. 

“Iris Messaging, sweetheart,” he corrected her, the pet name sliding out easily and causing Alex’s eyes to twinkle. “Remember Annabeth taught us how to do it?” He reached his hand out to Will. “Thank you Will, you saved Alex, whatever you need, name it,” he spoke, his voice cracking a little with emotion. Will smiled softly and held Magnus’ hand a little gentler. 

“Hey, I know what it’s like to have a partner who throws themselves at danger and needs patching up all the time because of it, I’m glad I could help though,” he joked lightly as in that moment Nico appeared and walked behind him. 

“Bad mouthing me already, Solace?” Nico spoke, crossing his arms and looking at Will who smiled. 

“Only when you’re around to hear, Di Angelo. I’m just telling the truth either way,” he said, letting go of Magnus and offering his hand to Alex. 

“Alex Fierro,” she hesitated and licked her lips. “Child of Loki,” she added. 

Nico raised his eyebrows. “Like the Avengers?”

Alex burst into laughter. “I wish, but no, my mom is worse than that. Tried to kill my dumb boyfriend, start Ragnarok and destroy everything,” she shook her head and turned to Magnus who was looking at her. Would he ever stop doing that now? “Remember how you confessed your feelings in front of her and an army of zombies?” Magnus’ cheeks gained colour and he sighed, mumbling something under his breath that Alex couldn’t quite catch. 

Will smiled at their dynamic, it reminding him almost of Nico and himself. “Well. . . You could sit with us in the Apollo table, Magnus would probably be a son of Apollo,” he justified to Chiron who was watching the whole exchange with careful eyes, a small smile in his face. “And Alex. . . Well, we don’t know how estable she is, she should stick with us in case anything happens,” he added with a shrug, shooting Chiron an innocent smile that the centaur didn’t buy. It was the _Nico and his doctor’s orders_ all over again, but seeing how tightly Magnus was clinging to Alex, he doubted the blonde would accept any other option. He gave a single nod and then turned around, exiting the room and letting the demigods hang out together as he made his way to warn Dionysus, remembering their last conversation involving Bast and Mimir. 

Magnus got off the bed, bringing his hand from around Alex’s waist to her hand, holding it tightly. His face felt dry and there was a headache forming in the back of his head, he felt tired and deflated, wanting to head back to Valhalla. Alex stood up carefully and grimaced, “Can I take a shower or change clothes before we eat?” She asked Will who nodded, his own hands still covered in blood, though it was dry now. Magnus too was covered in grime and blood, his face dirty with tear streaks. 

Will nodded. “The showers should be empty right now, everyone’s getting ready for the bonfire, we’ll take you there,” he said, though his eyes remained on Alex, as if wondering if that would be the best thing to do, wanting to suggest rest instead, but both Alex and Magnus looked so miserable in their dirty clothes that Will opted for the shower idea. He exited the room with Nico by his side, who could feel the einherji walking behind them, following them out of the Blue House and to the bathrooms. The walk was silent as Nico and Will looked at each other constantly, as if having a mental conversation in between them whilst Magnus and Alex walked behind them, Alex looking around at everything there was in Camp and Magnus looking down at his feet, still reprimanding himself for the way things had gone down.

When they got to the showers, Will turned to face them. “You can go ahead, we’ll be back in a minute with towels and clothes for you to change into,” he said, Nico nodding and grabbing Will’s hand. 

Magnus and Alex looked at each other before stepping into the room, looking around at the bathroom, seeing the showers all lined up on one side. Will cleared his throat, seeming embarrassed. “Ah, if you’re still a girl, I think it’d be best for you to go to the-”

Alex shook her head. “No. I’m a boy right now, but thanks for checking,” she said, pulling Magnus alongside her and stepping into the bathrooms, the blonde following her inside and frowning. Will and Nico looked slightly dazed but nodded and turned around, heading for the cabins without another comment. 

The blonde felt Alex’s words roll over him pleasantly, and he tried to shake himself out of the stupor. “You’re a he right now?” He asked, eyes looking over Alex’s features, only seeing them as femenine, Magnus thinking maybe his sense for what gender Alex identified as was beginning to fail, but he felt relieved when she shook her head and began to undress. 

“No, but you don’t look like you want to be away from me, so,” she shrugged. 

“You used charmspeak?” Magnus asked, now understanding why he had felt so compelled to believe Alex when she said she was a he. He watched her with a small frown, looking away when she pulled her shirt over her body and pulled down her pants, kicking off her shoes and socks to get into the shower, Magnus looking back when he heard the shower beginning to run, Alex’s body out of sight. 

“Yeah,” Alex called back. “Now get in the shower, you stink,” she called, Magnus being able to hear the smile on her voice as she said that, him hesitating for a second before he pulled his shirt over his head. 

“Hey.”

Magnus jumped and pulled the shirt off him, holding it in front of his chest as Nico Di Angelo stood in front of him, holding two towels with a small bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap resting on top of them. Next to him, Will Solace was holding two sets of clothes. Nico was looking at Magnus’ chest before his eyes moved upwards to meet his eyes, his expression neutral as he handed him the clothes. 

“We’ll be waiting outside,” was all he said as Will smiled and set the clothes on a bench nearby. “Don’t take too long,” he added, then grabbing Will’s hand and walking away, Will making a comment that made Nico blush, trying to hide it with a grimace, Will laughing. 

Magnus pulled the rest of his clothes off and got in the shower, turning it on and letting it spray him down. The water was cold but he couldn’t feel it, though his thoughts went to Alex, worried she’d find it unbearable. As if to answer his question, Magnus heard her hiss and swear under her breath. Magnus reached over the space that separated their showers, handing her the shampoo. 

“Will and Nico brought this,” he said, feeling Alex’s cold fingers grab the bottle and then hearing it pop open. He began to run the soap over his body, spending more time on his hands, dirty with Alex’s blood and making his vision dizzy as he got rid of the colour, his eyes filling up with more tears. He rubbed his face to get rid of the dirt in his face and to wipe away the tears that were falling, even though they mixed with the water droplets from the shower. “Here,” he spoke again when he was done with the soap, handing it to Alex who in returned gave him back the shampoo, Magnus using the rest of what was in there to rinse his hair, taking deep breaths as the soap traveled down his body and disappeared in the drain. He heard Alex close the tap and go out, grabbing a towel. He swallowed and rubbed his face one last time before peeking out of the showe door to make sure Alex wasn’t looking at him. 

The girl had moved quickly, a shirt already covering her torso, pulling a pastel green sweatshirt over the bright orange shirt Will had given them. In the pile of clothes that were for Magnus, there was a sweatshirt as well, though it was black and had the skeleton of a pegasus in it.They both had shorts and both seemed to not like the idea of having to wear them. Magnus stepped out and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around his middle and hurrying to grab the clothes before heading to the nearest stall to change when Alex stopped him. 

“I need you to stop that,” she said, grabbing his wrist and looking him in the eye. 

Magnus knew what she was talking about but shook his head and looked down, avoiding her eyes. “What? I’m not doing anything,” he said, clutching the clothes tighter. 

Alex narrowed her eyes. “I can feel the guilt reeking off of you, Magnus, it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t do anything,” she said, grabbing his other hand and turning him to face her. 

Magnus shook his head, his walls crumbling down inside of him. “I couldn’t heal you but he could? Why― Why couldn’t I heal you? I tried, I–I summoned the power but it wouldn’t stop, you were bleeding so much, Alex,” his voice broke and he gritted his teeth. He was sure that Nico and Will were out there listening to them, hearing how pathetic Magnus was and had been for not being able to save his partner. “You were dying, I felt it, I felt you slipping,” he confessed, Alex frowning. “You were slipping out of my grasp, I couldn’t anchor you to your body, everytime I tried to heal you, you were fighting against it, when I got you here they weren’t going to take care of you because they said you were dead and you nearly were, I couldn’t. . . I couldn’t find anything left to heal in you,” Magnus broke down and he pulled away from Alex, haunted by the feeling that had overcome him. 

It had been a rope, a small rope that was pulling far too fast, burning his fingers, making them bleed, the rope thinning out until it was nothing more than a thread. Magnus had been holding on to it but it just got smaller, thinner, slippier and suddenly he hadn’t felt anything, Alex was gone but then Will had used his magic and the rope was back in his hands but it felt different. Magnus had never felt someone slip away from his life like that, never had the feeling of someone dying been something he could physically feel, something he could experience as if it were his own life draining away. He looked down at his hands seeing in them Alex’s blood and he sobbed, closing his eyes and looking away. Alex was in front of him and her hands moved so she held each side of Magnus’ face in them, forcing him to look at her. . 

“Shut up,” she said, her jaw clenched and eyes burning furiously. “Shut up. Magnus, look at me, I’m here, I’m alive. There’s nothing for you to feel guilty about, I’m okay. You kept me alive, Will and that weird mantle thing healed me, but you kept me here. If you hadn’t been there I would’ve bled out and died, you stopped it. You kept me here,” she reiterated, looking into Magnus’ eyes that were puffy and red as he shook his head. “Yes you did, you did. You stupid, summer boy, you kept me alive, I am here because of you,” she felt her voice crack and cleared her throat, eyebrows pulled into a frown. “You don’t think I was scared? I thought that was the end Magnus, I thought my last words to you were that I loved you and I was scared because― You said it yourself that I always wait for when we’re near to our deaths to do the big gestures, but because you saved me I’m here and I can tell you that I love you, no impending doom hanging over us, just me and you, and I love you, you warm, summery idiot,” she said, eyes filling with tears as well, as she pulled him towards her and kissed him hard, like there would never be a chance to do so again. 

Magnus could taste his own tears during their kiss and he held Alex close to him, arms around her waist as her hands moved from his face to the back of his neck and hair, her body close enough to him that they could both be sure that the other one was there, safe.Their noses fit perfectly against each other and Alex’s long eyelashes fluttered softly against Magnus’ cheeks, sending butterflies to his stomach and making him shiver, pulling her closer towards him so she could feel the heat of his body and he could feel hers, not wanting to ever feel how cold Alex had been when Magnus had carried him up the hill. They broke away after a minute, panting and resting their foreheads together. Alex looked almost satisfied despite the sadness that was clinging to her, and Magnus had the last of his tears running down, looking at her with fear and love. He swallowed and pulled back to wipe away the tears from his eyes, sniffling. 

“I’m sorry, I’ll never leave Valhalla without Jack again, I’m so sorry,” he whispered again, the knot in his throat still ever present. His body tingled from the kiss and his fingers moved up to move some hair strands out of Alex’s face. 

She laughed. “Do you think I want a talking sword with us on our dates?” She asked, shaking her head. “You should ask Percy if he can lend you Riptide, that way you can always have a weapon but not one that will serenade us all night long,” she joked and looked at Magnus who still looked sad. There was a broken aspect to his eyes that Alex didn’t like but knew she couldn’t help with right now. Magnus had to learn to deal with the guilt, the pain and overcome it on his own. 

He wiped away his tears and chuckled sadly, walking to the stall and changing into the clothes as Alex felt her heart twist painfully in her chest, one thing Magnus had said digging through her thoughts. Magnus had felt her die? She shivered, closing her eyes and hugged herself, waiting for him to step out. 

When he did, his hands were stuffed in the pocket of the sweatshirt, some khaki shorts fitting his legs awkwardly. The only thing of his that he was wearing, just like Alex, were his sneakers. She smiled, loving how ridiculous he looked and grabbed his hand, picking up their dirty, blood coated clothes and exiting the bathrooms. A few yards away, Nico Di Angelo and Will Solace were talking in whispers, Will seeming a little distressed as Nico reassured him, when they noticed Magnus and Alex they stood up, Will swallowing and looking at Magnus. 

“Hey, can I talk to you for a sec? Nico is going to go ahead and take Alex to the dining pavilion,” he said, looking at Nico who had a solemn expression in his face and didn’t seem to agree with the plan but walked towards Alex who hesitated, but detached herself from Magnus and walked away. The blonde watched her go, his insides twisting with worry. “Don’t worry,” Will spoke up, “The worst thing that can happen to him is he trips and gets a bruise,” he tried to console him. 

“She,” Magnus corrected automatically, but then shook his head and looked at Will. “What’s wrong? Is anything wrong with Alex?” He asked, heart rate picking up. 

Will shook his head. “No, no, he― She, sorry, she’s fine. I wanted to check on how you were doing, is this your. . . First time?” He asked carefully. 

Magnus frowned, not understanding, but soon a shadow crossed over his features. Will was a healer too, he probably had dealt with this many times, probably had had people die on one of the beds in the place they had been earlier. Magnus gritted his teeth and shook his head. “It’s the first time it’s been this close,” he admitted, rubbing his eyes again just to make sure there weren’t any tears in them. Will watched him carefully, his eyes analysing him, deep blue staring straight into Magnus’s soul. He watched him sadly and Magnus swallowed, shaking his head. “You get so used to it that the few times it’s real it sticks with you. Alex is right, we die everyday in Valhalla, but we come back in an hour, healed and ready for the next battle, but I’ve never,” he cleared his throat. “During our battles, I’ve never seen Alex die,” he chuckled and ran a hand through his damp hair. “She’s an incredibly skilled fighter, I train but I’m not nearly as good as any of the others who have been in Valhalla as long as I have, so I usually die before her.” A deep breath and Magnus turned to look at Will, his gray eyes reminding him so very much of Annabeth that Will had to blink a couple of times to remind himself it was Magnus in front of him, the lightness his tone had carried whilst he talked about the Hotel vanished, the aire getting colder as Magnus spoke up again. “Will. . . Does it get easier? Watching people die. . . Knowing you could’ve done more?”

Will took a step back, as if Magnus had physically hit him, pupils shrinking and throat drying up. He looked away from Magnus, unable to stand the pain in his eyes that he was sure his own eyes could reflect. If he looked towards the dining pavilion, or the woods, or anywhere on the hill, he could still see demigods running around, some sitting around the amphitheatre, others being replaced by shrouds. His mind went back to the three wars he had gone through, none easier than the last, none less painful and with less death than the one before it, his hands trembled as he remembered the demigods that had died in front of him, the eyes that he would never be able to unsee as they stared up at him in fear of the inevitable. He clenched his jaw and looked away. 

“No.”

Magnus nodded and swallowed. Will closed his eyes and took a shaky breath in, turning to back to the son of Frey, placing his hand on his shoulder. “Nico and Alex are waiting,” he simply said, Magnus nodding, but not moving from his spot.. 

“Will?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” Magnus said. “You saved Alex. If you ever need anything absolutely anything, IM me or if you have a phone ask Annabeth for my number. Whatever you need, I’ll do it.” Will looked at Magnus who had a faraway look in his eyes as he looked at the camp. He somehow seemed stronger and more powerful than what Will had seen that night, his hair tousled around with the wind and his hands were stuffed in Nico’s sweatshirt. In his face, Will saw how capable Magnus was, a fiery glaze in his eyes that laid dormant at the moment. At his feet, the grass seemed to grow taller, curling towards Magnus’ shins. His eyes turned back to look at Will and he had to remember how to breath as he stared back into the grey. Magnus Chase radiated peace and sun, but his eyes were broken steel and his aura radiated strength. 

He forced a nod and took his hand off Magnus’ shoulder. The boy took a deep breath and gave Will a tight lipped smile, following him towards the dining pavilion. Magnus could hear people singing far away, his eyes moving towards the amphitheatre where he could see smoke rising out of it and the shadowy figures of people sitting around a fire. His eyes turned back to the pavilion, seeing only two figures there, his heart leaping in his chest when he saw Alex, his pace quickening until he reached her, sitting down and taking a deep breath as though he hadn’t been able to properly do so before. Alex turned to face him and Magnus noticed her eyes were puffy, his eyebrows quickly setting into a frown and looking at Nico who was looking at Magnus with a sad expression, though he tried for a smile. 

“Your girlfriend is pretty cool, Magnus,” he said as Will took a seat next to him. “You should come visit camp more often, maybe we could teach you a thing of two,” he added, his hands on the table, tapping his fingers against it. 

Will raised his eyebrows but smiled. “That’d be cool. We could say you’re a son of Apollo,” his eyes drifted to Alex who raised her brows, as if challenging him to try and see what god or goddess would fit her best. “I don’t think Loki has an equivalent in greek mythology, maybe you’d be part of the Hermes cabin.”

“The god of thieves? Thanks, what’s that supposed to mean?” She said, narrowing her eyes, Nico letting out a laugh as Will lifted his hands defensively. Under the table, Alex reached her hand out to Magnus and grabbed it, the boy relaxing the tiniest bit as his thumb drew circles on the back of her hand. . 

“He’s not just that! He’s the god of travel, roads, inventions. . . ”

Will began to rattle on everything Hermes was the patron of, Alex shaking her head and debating each one of them. They suggested Apollo, but went against it. They thought of Hecate as Alex had magic, and the idea seemed to please her, though she didn’t look fully convinced. Magnus watched her all the time, jumping in to make a comment every once in a while. As they did so, food was brought to their tables, Alex and Magnus following along and offering, just like Will and Nico had, some of their best food to the gods. After they had eaten, they went to the Apollo cabin, Will inviting them in. 

“It’s winter and not a lot of kids stay year round, so we have some bunks available. Magnus you can stay here if you’d like. Alex. . .” Will seemed hesitant, “Maybe the Hermes cabin?” He suggested, but Nico shook his head and butted in. 

“She can stay with me,” he said, his hands in his hips as he looked at Will who narrowed his eyes. “What? Solace, we’re not going to do anything, don’t look at me like that,” Nico complained, rolling his eyes. 

As they discussed, Magnus looked at Alex who was also staring at him. They both had the same thought in their minds. She cleared her throat. 

“Actually, we’re going back to Valhalla. Our mission was supposed to be quick and our friends will be worried. Plus, Odin will want to hear back from us,” she explained, tossing her hair to the side and running a hand through it. “But we’ll be back someday. This place is really cool and I bet you could teach Magnus how to properly fight,” she added, snickering softly as Magnus smiled, shaking his head slightly. 

Will and Nico looked at each other. “How are you getting to Boston?” Will asked. 

Alex shrugged. “Bus?” She suggested. “We have money for tickets.”

Nico smirked. “I can take you there if you want, only if you don’t mind shadows” he added, looking back at Will who was looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “It’s not like we’re travelling to Europe, it’s the same country, Solace.”

Will let out a sigh but nodded. “Yeah, we can take you, it’d be no problem,” he agreed. 

Magnus looked at Alex who nodded. “Oh, yeah, I wanna see what this shadow travelling is like,” she moved close to her boyfriend, slipping her hand into his as Will did the same thing with Nico who nodded. 

“Get ready.”

That was the only warning, Nico placing his hands on Alex’s shoulder and suddenly they were plunging into a dark pool of shadows. There was wind hitting them, what sounded like whispers sprouting from every direction and the feeling of something crawling on their skin. The trip was fast and before they knew it, they were all standing a block away from the Hotel, Magnus looking towards it and letting out a sigh of relief. Nico and Will followed his gaze, seeing the building in the distance. 

“Doesn’t look like much,” Nico said, despite knowing it was the mist, or the glamour as Alex and Magnus called it, what made the mansion look ordinary and not at all like a hotel. “But I’m guessing it’s bigger inside,” he added, turning to look at the einherji who nodded. 

“Five hundred and forty floors, each one with a door opening to somewhere in the nine worlds,” Magnus spoke. He hadn’t said much in the time they had spent together, but he didn’t look as tired, if anything just a little down, the sadness clinging to him along with the guilt. Will had reassured him it would pass, though never fade. He turned to look at the couple. “Thanks.”

Nico shrugged, Will smiled. “It’s no problem. If you ever need anything, we’re one IM away,” he reminded them, his eyes lingering on Magnus. The grey in his eyes made Will remember what he had said just a couple of hours ago: whatever you need I’ll do it. Will had a feeling Magnus didn’t throw promises like that around and he gave the boy a barely visible nod that Magnus caught and allowed him to relax the slightest bit. 

Nico offered his hand to Magnus who took it, shaking it and then doing the same to Will. Alex hugged Nico and then shook Will’s hand, smiling at them. “Are you going back?” She asked, Nico looking at Will with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“We shouldn’t waste the opportunity of visiting Boston on just dropping you off,” he said, his tone suggestive and Will laughed, grabbing Nico’s hand once again. “We’ll talk to you later.”

“Have fun,” Magnus wished them. “See you,” he waved goodbye to them as the couple walked away, the blonde watching them before turning to his girlfriend who grabbed his hand and they began to walk towards the Hotel. 

It was nearly eleven o’clock at night, streetlights being the only source of light on the streets beside the Hotel. They approached the entrance and Magnus, as he always did, shivered at the sight of the wolfs, avoiding looking at them as he put his hand against the double doors, these opening easily despite him not pushing on them, the magic recognising him as an einherji and therefore allowing him entrance. The couple walked in, hand in hand to the entrance of the Hotel where Hunding was situated in a chair, as if waiting for them. When he saw them, he sprang up. 

“Magnus, Alex! You took longer to come back than necessary,” he said, frowning as he looked at the two of them, eyeing their strange clothing. 

Magnus sighed and nodded. “Yeah, things got a little rough but everything is okay,” he reached into his pocket where he had a chocolate bar he had asked Will for while they were eating, knowing he would need it later on in order to appease Hunding. He offered the bar to him, watching the way his eyes lit up. “It won’t happen again. Good night,” Magnus waved at him, heading to the elevator, Alex simply waving at the man and following Magnus. 

“Thank you, Magnus! Good night,” he said, waving back and staring at the piece of chocolate like it was a gold mine. 

As they rode the elevator up, Magnus briefly wondered if he’d be able to sleep. There was an aching in his chest that he could pinpoint as panic, though it significantly lessened when the doors to Floor 19 opened and he stepped out, Alex stopping him and turning her head slightly upwards so she could look into his eyes. “I’m sleeping in your room,” was all she said, Magnus blinking, feeling his mouth dry but managing to give back a nod. Her eyes searched around his face. “I’m getting into my pajamas, I’ll see you in a minute.” She turned and walked to her room, opening it and stepping inside, closing the door behind her. 

Magnus walked back to his room and on instinct grabbed the sheet from his bed and then walked to the patch of grass that the Yggdrasil grew through, setting it down and laying back. He felt comfortable in the clothes he was wearing even if they weren’t his and his body was more at ease now that they were inside the Hotel, his eyes following the path of the branch that protrude from the grass, observing the blades of green and taking a deep breath in. Above him, the imitation of the sky tinkered with stars in a peaceful manner. It had been a hectic day and it finally felt like Magnus could breathe properly. He turned his body so the grass would tickle his side and he closed his eyes, breathing in the momentary peacefulness. Then, the door opened. 

He had never seen Alex in her pajamas and he wasn’t sure if he hated or loved the fact that even something as simple as that could knock him out of breath. She was wearing a long sleeved pink shirt and matching socks with some pastel green shorts with pockets in them. He was sure she had done something to her hair, or she had changed it with magic because it was longer than it had been when she had gone into her room. Magnus watched her with colour rushing to his cheeks as he sat up on the blanket. He realised then that maybe Alex would prefer to sleep on the bed unlike him who always slept on the grass, but she didn't say anything, closing the door behind her and walking over to him and joining him, sitting and then laying down, Magnus following suit and laying down as well, facing her. 

She had never looked prettier and Magnus was at a loss for words. His heart squeezed in his chest. He had been so close to losing her. His hand moved upwards to cup her cheek and he leaned forward, kissing her gently, his lips moving slowly and carefully, as though he were afraid she might break. With each brush of their lips, he was grounded to the moment, remembering he was safe and so was she, they were both together and nothing was wrong. Magnus could feel her soft breaths against his skin every time she would breath through her nose and he moved closer to her, hand moving to the back of her neck as she grabbed his sweatshirt, finding something to hold onto. The kiss was intimate, passionate and delicate. It was a kiss that spoke for their hearts, revealing their desires and fears, revealing their truths and their lies. 

Magnus pulled back. “I love you, Alex Fierro,” Magnus whispered to her, like a lover telling a secret. Alex opened her eyes to look at him. 

“I love you, golden boy,” she replied just as quietly, chuckling when she saw Magnus twist his face at her words. 

“Did Nico call me that?” He asked, Alex’s smile giving it away. He rolled his eyes. “Maybe you two are not a good influence for each other,” he complained, watching her eyes and exploring every part of her face with his gaze, memorising it, falling in love with every part of it. He couldn’t believe that a year ago he couldn’t hug anyone and now he had no problem sleeping next to someone, holding them close to his chest. Deep in his heart he knew it was because it was Alex and holding her simply felt right, she was the only exception and he didn’t mind it one bit. 

“I think he might like you,” she pointed out, Magnus making a face. She chuckled. “He said you were cute and worried a lot about me, I think he only said that because you remind him of Will,” she added. Magnus shook his head. 

“Well, I only like you,” he said, looking at her lovingly. His eyes were still sad, the light inside of them pale and Alex could see how he was trying to keep himself up. “It’s late,” he said, looking up at the stars. 

Alex nodded. “Go to sleep.”

Magnus hesitated. “Will you be here when I wake up?” He asked. 

She felt as though she was being stung by the snake all over again, there was such a sadness and guilt to Magnus’ voice, yet a tone of adoration that made her levitate off the ground, made her feel so close to the sky. She leaned forward and kissed him again. “I will. Til Ragnarok,” she added softly at the end, a gentle promise that would carry from that moment til the end of times and if they were to survive it, longer than that. 

Magnus seemed to soften up at that, relaxing slightly even though his grip around her did not give out, still holding her tight. Ragnarok was still a long way down the road, until then, Magnus only cared that Alex was safe with him and she only cared that Magnus was holding her . 

**Author's Note:**

> If any of you are interested, the original idea was written down as "Magnus is devastated when he can't heal Alex after a particularly nasty battle and has to go to CHB to get Will to patch Alex up and is basically up all night wrecked with guilt, crying his eyes out and the only one who is able to comfort him is Nico". However, when I began writing it I didn't remember the last part until I had gone past the moment when Alex is already awake and I decided it would be more fitting for Nico to be cautious of Magnus and Alex since they're technically dead and therefore should not be among the living. Also, Will and Magnus bonding over their healing abilities? That hurt and actually opened my eyes to a lot of thoughts about how they both must carry guilt when their powers fail them in order to heal someone.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if there are grammar mistakes or anything similar to that!


End file.
